Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-15

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have bought some clothing online and are not satisfied with your purchase.

Write a letter to the company that you bought the clothing from. In your email:

• give details of the purchase
• describe the problem
• explain why you need a replacement urgently

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 4.5)

dear messo sir,

i hope you well! i am totalyy disappointing to my clothes.twise day ago i orderd some beutiful dresses,and night dress.But today i receieve this clothes and this clothes quality is overall bad.Furthermore, this clothes are like someone wear this clothes types.So, i am totallly disappointed to this clothes.And i also pay high price for this clothes and i recieved low quality, and old clothes.

Moreover, this clothes price high and i saw i picture clothes color to good but i accepted clothes color fully different. So, if is it possible to change my clothes like replecement. Otherwise, give me refund thank you for your understanding.

I look forword i am waiting for your responce

Your faithfully,

Jiya patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the main problem—poor quality, apparent prior use, and a colour that differs from the picture—and request either a replacement or a refund. However, the task is addressed only partially: you do not give clear purchase details such as the order date, item names in a precise form, or an order reference, and the reason the replacement is urgent is not explained. The response also contains 121 words, below the required 150, so there is limited space to develop the complaint and request. To improve, add specific purchase information, explain a concrete deadline or occasion that makes the replacement urgent, and state clearly what action you expect the company to take and by when.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter follows a broadly sensible order: you describe the purchase and its problems, then ask for a replacement or refund. Connectors such as “Furthermore” and “Moreover” help signal additional complaints. However, ideas are crowded into one paragraph, and the repeated references to “this clothes” make it difficult to track the items and the separate problems. The final request is also unclear because “Otherwise, give me refund” does not establish whether a refund is your alternative if replacement is unavailable. Use separate paragraphs for purchase details, the problems, and your requested solution, and use clear references such as “the dresses” and “the nightdress.”

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some vocabulary relevant to a complaint, including “quality,” “replacement,” “refund,” and “price,” so the reader can understand the general issue. However, the range is basic and repetitive, especially in repeated uses of “clothes” and “disappointed.” Several spelling and word-choice errors, such as “receieve,” “replecement,” and “old clothes,” make the message less clear or less suitable for a formal letter. Aim for precise terms for the items and their condition, and use standard complaint language—for example, describe the garments as “poor quality” or “apparently worn.” Proofreading spelling and choosing more natural collocations would make your meaning easier to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response relies mainly on short, simple statements, with a few attempts to link ideas using “and,” “but,” and “if.” Frequent errors in sentence structure and basic grammar sometimes make the message difficult to interpret. For example, “i hope you well” is missing a verb, while “i am totalyy disappointing to my clothes” has an incorrect construction; “this clothes are” also shows a problem with agreement and number. The request “if is it possible to change my clothes” is not formed as a clear conditional question. Practise complete sentence patterns, subject–verb agreement, articles, and question forms, then check punctuation and capitalisation before sending.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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